Sunday, 1 April 2012

Cape Fear (1991)

Cape Fear

Cape Fear is a 1991 film directed by Martin Scorcese and starring Robert De Niro and Nick Nolt. The film is a remake of the 1962 film of the same name, and even has 3 of the stars from the original appearing in new roles. The film was nominated for 2 Academy Awards, but failed to win in either category.

The Plot

The story follows the tale of revenge of Max Cady, played by Robert De Niro, who feels his attorney Sam Bowden, played by Nick Nolt, did not represent him and could have presented evidence that would have led to a shorter sentence. Cady, a convicted rapist, stalks Bowden and his family, including his 15 year old daughter.

The plot is nothing too original but it is a solid story. However, the originality of the plot is not really what is key to this being a great movie.

The Performances

The performances in this film are fantastic. The supporting cast are all great, which includes Gregory Peck, Robert Mitchum and Martin Balsam from the original version of the film. Jessica Lange andJuliette Lewis are both good to watch and play their respective roles superbly. Nick Nolt is great as a father and husband, who has other troubles to contend with, trying to protect his family from Cady. The stand-out performance, however, comes from Robert De Niro as Max Cady. De Niro is truly frightening to watch and really experts the role of evil!

Eerie

This film has some genuinely frightening and chilling moments, all of which are caused by Max Cady! Almost completely throughout the film there is a real eerie feeling and there always seems to be the potential for terror. The directing in this sense is amazing, and Scorsese deserves a lot of credit for the mood of the film.

Overall

Overall this movie has genuinely frightening and shocking moments in it. The performances are great, particularly De Niro's, and there is a great feeling of terror and claustrophobia throughout.Rating - 8/10